Beat the Heat, Save on Electricity
Another heat advisory is hitting southern Illinois, and this one is sure to strain your AC. However, with high summer PTC rates, you might be more worried about your electricity bill than staying cool. Don’t sweat it! These cooling tips are sure to keep your electricity bill low. And, we’ll tell you where you can shop for cheap electricity rates.
Cooling Tips for Apartments
Cooling apartments can be tricky. That’s because you’re limited in what you can do to alter your space. However, you still have a ton of easy, temporary solutions available to stay cool for less!
Our first cooling tip is to cover your windows. Foil with the shiny side facing outside can reflect back some of the infrared heat that your home would absorb. But if that’s not an option for you, you can use old blankets or sheets. The main goal is to block sunlight from entering, and heating up your home.
Fans are a great, affordable tool for staying cool. If you have a ceiling fan, make sure to set it to spin counterclockwise. This blows air downward onto you. At night, when it’s cooler, you can set a box fan facing outdoors to blow hot air out of your home. But remember, fans cool people, not rooms. Turn your fans off when you’re not in the room.
Before the heat begins building on really hot days, you can prep by pre-cooling your home during off peak hours. Run your AC after 9 pm and before 9 am. Then, during peak hours, raise your home’s thermostat to cut your AC’s runtime. This way, your home will take longer to heat up when the sun is beating down.
Finally, avoid using large appliances during the day. Your oven, dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer all use a lot of energy. And more importantly, they generate heat. So, save the baking for the evening, when it’s cooler.
Cooling Tips for Homes
Owning your home gives you a few more options. For instance, you can seal air leaks in your home. Check around doors, windows, and chimneys for cracks and gaps. With some weather stripping, a caulk gun, spray foam insulation, and a dream, a cool home is close at hand. Use the spray foam or silicone caulk for larger gaps, and replace weather stripping around doors and windows.
Lastly, if you have an attic, check your vents. Attics can absorb a lot of heat, and radiate it through the rest of the house at night. You can counteract this by placing a fan to blow hot air out of an attic vent. And keep the attic access door shut.
Keep Your Bill Affordable
You might be tempted to turn the AC off with these high electricity rates. However, you can keep your home cool without breaking the bank with an affordable electricity plan. So shop now for a reliable fixed rate, compare electricity rates from different providers, and find the best electricity plan for you all in one Shop https://www.ilenergyratings.com